Why is molecular data for phylogenetic inference best analyzed with use of an explicit model of molecular evolution?

Biology: The Dynamic Science (MindTap Course List)
4th Edition
ISBN:9781305389892
Author:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillan
Publisher:Peter J. Russell, Paul E. Hertz, Beverly McMillan
Chapter32: Deuterostomes: Vertebrates And Their Closest Relatives
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1ITD: The phylogenetic tree for vertebrates depicted below was constructed from sequence data for two rRNA...
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Why is molecular data for phylogenetic inference best analyzed with use of an explicit model of molecular evolution?

   

A) This is true of morphological data, not molecular data, it is impossible to model changes in molecular sequence data because it is constantly evolving.

   

B) Because molecular data is known to only experience random changes and is constantly evolving, a chaotic model of evolution can universally be applied to molecular sequence data for phylogenetic analysis.

   

C) Because molecular data is known to experience non-random changes in terms of the likelihood of different types of mutations -- transitions vs. transversions, at different codon positions, which can be used to infer sequence evolution and relationship.

   

D) None of the above.

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